Israel lawmakers visit Jerusalem holy site after 2-year halt

JERUSALEM – Two Israeli lawmakers have visited a contested Jerusalem holy site for the first time in two years.

Tuesday's visit, which passed peacefully, was meant to test the waters as Benjamin Netanyahu's government mulls whether to allow such visits to resume. They were banned in late 2015 for fear of sparking tensions.

The site has been at the center of recent tensions after Israel installed, then removed, metal detectors following the deadly shooting of two Israeli policemen. Muslims administer the compound, home to the Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, while Jews can visit but not pray there.

The site — known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary — is considered the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam.